Shot tracking

ABSTRACT

A system and method for shot tracking is disclosed herein. The system preferably includes a golf club and a receiver. The golf club preferably includes an active radiofrequency component, a power source and a shock switch. When the golf club strikes a golf ball, the shock switch closes thereby powering the radiofrequency component which sends a signal to the receiver for automatically tracking a golfer&#39;s round of golf.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/698,030 filed on Feb. 1, 2010.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to shot tracking. More specifically, thepresent invention relates to a method and system for tracking shots of agolfer during a round of golf.

2. Description of the Related Art

Golf clubs combine with the players swing to propel a ball toward afavored location and through a favored path. The orientation and speedof the club head at impact largely determines the ball path includingcarry distance and roll.

The prior discloses various methods and systems that enable automaticcollection of golf data. One such example is U.S. Patent PublicationNumber 2008/0207357 issued to Savarese et al for Combined Range and TagFinder. This publication discloses a method for measuring a distance andlocating a golf ball. A semiconductor coupled to an antenna is embeddedin the outer shell of the golf ball which interacts with a firstreceiver in a portable device. The receiver is capable of determiningthe location of the golf ball, by distance and direction of the golfball relative to the portable device. The portable device furtherincludes a second receiver to determine the location of the portabledevice and a microprocessor to determine coupled to both the first andsecond receiver to determine the direction and/or location of a fixedobject to the portable device.

Another example U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,850 issued to Wilhlem for Golf SwingEvaluation System. This patent discloses a system comprising a golf clubcontaining a sensor and an associated display for indicating the forceand location of impact of the club head against a golf ball. The displaycan be located in the club grip or worn by the golfer.

Yet another example is U.S. Patent Publication 2009/0017944 issued toSavarese et al. for Apparatuses, Methods and Systems Relating toAutomatic Golf Data Collecting and Recording. This publication disclosesthe use of RFID tagged balls and golf clubs enabling automatic recordingof when of when and where a golf stroke occurs.

A further example is U.S. Patent Publication Number 2009/0209358 issuedto Niegowski for System and Method for Tracking One or More Rounds ofGolf. This publication discloses a system and method for tracking roundsof golf, including a tracking system to track a golfer's position on agolf course and a golf stroke information providing system for providinginformation about a golf stroke taken by a golfer. They system may alsoinclude a coordinating system to coordinate the information about thegolf stroke with the information about the golfer's tracked position onthe golf course.

Most golfers while playing a round of golf are focused on his or hergame, and interruption will deter from the golfer's game.

The prior art is lacking in a method and system to automatically track agolfer's round of golf without requiring game interrupting input fromthe golfer.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention allows for a golfer to automatically track his orher performance during a round of golf. The golfer can then review thetracked information after the round.

One aspect of the present invention is a system for automaticallytracking a golf club swung by a golfer. The system comprises a pluralityof golf clubs. Each of the plurality of golf clubs comprises a deviceattached to a grip which is attached to a shaft which is attached to agolf club head. The device comprises a power source, a shock switch anda RFID component. The impact of a golf club of the plurality of golfclubs closes the shock switch to provide an electrical current from thepower source to the RFID component for transmission of a signal. Thesignal comprises the type of golf club impacted. The power sourcecomprises a battery, a resistor and a capacitor. The RFID componentcomprises a RFID transponder and a processor. A receiver for receivingthe signal from the RFID component is also a part of the system. Thereceiver is a GPS unit and the receiver sores data for each shot by thegolfer for a round of golf.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for conserving powerfor a shot tracking device attached to the grip of a golf club. Themethod comprises striking an object with the golf club having a shottracking device. The shot tracking device comprises a power source, suchas a battery, in electrical communication with a resistor which is inelectrical communication with a shock switch. The shock switch is inelectrical communication with an enabler and an RFID component, the RFIDcomponent comprising a RFID transponder and a processor.

The shock switch is closed which allows power to flow to the RFIDcomponent. The power is drawn from the capacitor instead of directlyfrom the battery. A signal is transmitted from the RFID component to areceiver and a confirmation signal is received at the RFID componentfrom the receiver. The shock switch is opened after a set period timeand the capacitor is recharged with power from the battery at acontrolled rate due to the presence of a resistor.

Having briefly described the present invention, the above and furtherobjects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by thoseskilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description ofthe invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of a system for shottracking.

FIG. 2 is a perspective front view of a preferred embodiment for asystem for shot tracking.

FIG. 2A is a perspective front view of a shot tracking device, showing aboard and a power source.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the components of a device for a systemfor shot tracking in a pre-impact state.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the components of a device for a systemfor shot tracking in a post-impact state.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method of shot tracking.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of a receiver for asystem for shot tracking.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the componentsfor a receiver for a system for shot tracking.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, a system 20 for automatically tracking a round ofgolf is generally designated. A RFID transponder 51(a) in a golf club 50swung by a golfer 59 sends a signal 62 to a receiver 10. The receiver 10is preferably attached to a golf bag 60, however, those skilled withinthe pertinent art will recognize that the receiver 10 may be attached toany pertinent device including the golfer 59, or may stand alone. Eachgolf club 50 has a device 11 attached thereto for automaticallytransmitting a signal 62 to a receiver 10 when a golfer 59 strikes agolf ball. As explained in greater detail below, the device 11 ispreferably designed to transmit the signal 62 at impact. In this manner,a golfer 59 can play a round of golf while the system 20 automaticallytracks the golfer's 59 shots without any input necessary from the golfer59. As shown in the figures, the system 20 preferably comprises aplurality of golf clubs 50, with each golf club 50 having a shottracking device 11, and a receiver 10 for receiving a signal 62 from thedevice 11 after each golf shot.

The present invention provides golfers 59 with information they need oncourse to make strong decisions about their game. The system 20 allows agolfer 59 to view drive distance and accuracy in context, review averagegolf club 50 distances before making a decision on which one to use, andsee distances to green and hazards mapped to real course images. Adevice 11 is placed in the grip 12 of a golf club. The device 11 sends asignal 62 comprising which golf club 50 is being used, and sends thisinformation to the receiver 10. The information is then stored in thereceiver 10 and may be analyzed at a later point by connecting to acomputer or may be viewed while on the golf course.

Each of the plurality of golf clubs 50 comprises a device 11 attached toa grip 12 which is attached to a shaft 14 which is attached to a golfclub head 17. FIGS. 2 and 2A illustrate a perspective view of thehousing 22 of the components of the shot tracking device. The componentsof the system 20 within the golf club 50 preferably include an RFIDcomponent 51, a power source 52, a switch 53, an enabler 54, a resistor55 and a capacitor 56.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, the device 11 of the present invention has ahousing 22 preferably comprising a main body 22(a) and a projection body22(b). The projection body 22(b) preferably has a length that rangesfrom 5 mm to 1 mm. The housing 22 preferably has a diameter, D, thatranges from 20 mm to 25 mm. The projection body 22(b) is inserted intothe aperture in the grip 12 of the golf club 50.

As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the device 11 comprises a power source 52, ashock switch 53 and a RFID component 51. The impact of a golf club 50 ofthe plurality of golf clubs 50 closes the shock switch 53 to provide anelectrical current from the power source 52 to the RFID component 51 fortransmission of a signal 62. The signal 62 comprises the type of golfclub 50 impacted. The power source 52 comprises a battery 52(a), aresistor 55 and a capacitor 56. The RFID component 51 comprises a RFIDtransponder 51(a) and a processor 51(b). A receiver 10 for receiving thesignal 62 from the RFID component 51 is also a part of the system 20.The receiver 10 is a GPS unit and the receiver 10 stores data for eachshot by the golfer 59 for a round of golf. The receiver 10 is attachedto a golf bag 60, however, those skilled in the pertinent art willrecognize that the receiver 10 may be attached to any pertinent deviceincluding the golfer 59, or may stand alone.

Signals 62 may be transmitted via one or more antennas. Transmittedsignals 62 may be formatted according to one or more system standards,including various examples detailed herein. Signals 62 may betransmitted on one or more frequencies (which may be selectable), or maybe transmitted on multiple frequencies simultaneously (i.e. inOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems. A data sourceprovides data for transmission. The data source may be any type of datasource or application, examples of which are well known in the art.Examples of components that may be included in a transceiver (ortransmitter) are amplifiers, filters, digital-to-analog (D/A)converters, radio frequency (RF) converters, and the like. A transceiveror transmitter may also comprise modulators, spreaders, encoders,interleavers, equalizers and other functions. Data and/or controlchannels may be formatted for transmission in accordance with a varietyof formats. RF transmission techniques are well known in the art and mayinclude amplification, filtering, upconversion, mixing, duplexing, etc.Infrared formats (i.e. IrDA) or other optical formats may requireadditional components for transmitting optical signals 62. Variouscomponents may be configured to support a single communication format,or may be configurable to support multiple formats. Those of skill inthe art will recognize myriad combinations of transmission components tosupport one or more communication formats in a plug-in network appliancein light of the teaching herein.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a circuit 49 of the device 11 preferablycomprises a power source 52, such as a battery 52(a), a resistor 55, acapacitor 56, a shock switch 53, an enabler 54, and a RFID component 51.The components of device 11 are preferably designed so as to reducecapacitor 56 leakage and conserve battery 52(a) power. The circuit 49 isdesigned with a resistor 55 located in series, following the battery52(a) and prior to the capacitor 56, to minimize the pace at which theelectrical current flows, allowing the capacitor 56 to reach thecomplete level of capacitance at a measured pace without quicklydraining the battery 52(a). The benefits of coupling a resistor 55 witha capacitor 56 result in preventing the battery 52(a) from completelydraining once the capacitor 56 is drained, as would happen if thecapacitor 56 were directly connected to the battery 52(a). The capacitor56 is preferably charged at a controlled rate from the battery 52(a).

FIG. 3 shows the circuit 49 for the device 11 prior to impact of thegolf club 50 with a golf ball. FIG. 4 is an illustration of the circuit49 of the device 11 subsequent to impact of a golf club 50 with a golfball. As shown in FIG. 3, prior to the impact of the golf club 50 withthe golf ball, the shock switch 53 is in an open position, preventingthe electrical current from the power source 52 from reaching the RFIDcomponent 51. In this pre-impact state, the active RFID component is ina powerless dormant state. The capacitor 56 is fully charged awaitingfor closure of the shock switch 53 in order to complete the circuit.

As shown in FIG. 4, subsequent to impact of the golf club 50 with thegolf ball, the shock switch 53 is closed, which allows the electricalcurrent from capacitor 56 to power the RFID component 51, activating theRFID component to generate a signal 62, for transmission to the receiver10, without input from the golfer 59. The signal 62 comprises the typeof golf club 50 struck by the golfer 59.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits describedin connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implementedor performed with a general purpose processor 51(b), a digital signalprocessor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), afield programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device,discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or anycombination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.A general-purpose processor 51(b) may be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor 51(b) may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor 51(b) mayalso be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e. g., acombination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality ofmicroprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSPcore, or any other such configuration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with theembodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in asoftware module executed by a processor 51(b), or in a combination ofthe two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROMmemory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removabledisk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Anexemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor 51(b) such that theprocessor 51(b) can read information from, and write information to, thestorage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integralto the processor 51(b). The processor 51(b) and the storage medium mayreside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In thealternative, the processor 51(b) and the storage medium may reside asdiscrete components in a user terminal.

A preferred microprocessor 51(b) is a CYRF69103 provided by CypressPerform. This microprocessor 51(b) is preferably a complete RadioSystem-on-Chip device, providing a complete RF system solution with asingle device a few components. The microprocessor 51(b) preferablycontains a 2.4 GHz Mbps GFSK radio transreceiver, packet data buffering,packet framer, DSSS baseband controller, Received Signal StrengthIndication (RSSI), and SPI interface for date transfer and deviceconfiguration.

Alternatively, the processor 51(b) is a general-purpose microprocessor,a digital signal processor (DSP), or a special-purpose processor 51(b).The processor 51(b) is connected with special-purpose hardware to assistin various tasks (details not shown). Various applications (positionbased applications, for example, as well as any other type ofapplications) are run on externally connected processors 51(b), such asan externally connected computer, or over a network connection; may runon an additional processor 51(b) within network (not shown), or may runon processor 51(b) itself. The processor 51(b) preferably has a memory,such as RAM and non-volatile memory, which may be used for storing dataas well as instructions for performing the various procedures andmethods described herein. Those of skill in the art will recognize thatmemory may be comprised of one or more memory components of varioustypes, that may be embedded in whole or in part within processor 51(b).In one embodiment, the processor 51(b) may be an Atmega, provided byAtmel of San Jose Calif., or a PIC18F8720 provided by Microchip ofChandler, Ariz.

A preferred load switch 53 is a AP2280 provided by Diodes Inc., which isa single channel slew rate controlled load switch. The AP2280 loadswitch has a quiescent supply current that is typically only 0.004micro-amps, making it ideal for battery powered distribution systemwhere the power consumption is a concern.

Preferably, the circuit 49 is also designed for conserving power for ashot tracking device 11 attached to the grip of a golf club 50. The shottracking device 11 comprises a housing 22, a battery 52(a) in electricalcommunication with a resistor 55 which is in electrical communicationwith a shock switch 53. The shock switch 53 is in electricalcommunication with an enabler 54 and a microprocessor 51(b). Themicroprocessor 51(b) is in electrical communication with aradiofrequency circuit 51(a).

Prior to the impact of the golf club 50 with the golf ball, the shockswitch 53 is in an open position, preventing the electrical current fromthe power source 52 from reaching the RFID component 51. In thispre-impact state, the active RFID component is in a powerless dormantstate. The capacitor 56 is fully charged awaiting for closure of theshock switch 53 in order to complete the circuit.

Subsequent to impact of the golf club 50 with the golf ball, the shockswitch 53 is closed, which allows the electrical current from capacitor56 to power the RFID component 51, activating the RFID component togenerate a signal 62, for transmission to the receiver 10, without inputfrom the golfer 59. The signal 62 comprises the type of golf club 50struck by the golfer 59.

The peak current for transmission of the signal 62 is preferably limitedto 2 milli-amps. The radiofrequency circuit 51(a) preferably operates at2.4 giga-Hertz. Preferably, the microprocessor 51(b) and theradiofrequency circuit 51(a) are integrated. The capacitor 56 ispreferably a 1 micro-Faraday capacitor. The capacitor 56 is preferably aAP2280 provided by Diodes, Inc., which is a 1 micro-Faraday capacitor 56composed of ceramic, which can withstand input current surges from lowimpedance sources, such as batteries in portable applications. Thebattery 52(a) is preferably a CR1620 having at least 75 milliamps ofpower. Alternatively, the battery 52(a) is a 3 volt battery.

The components of the system include a RFID component 51 which comprisesa RFID transponder 51(a) and a microprocessor 51(b). The microprocessor51(b) is configured to deactivate transmissions of the signal 62 when athreshold number of signals 62 are transmitted by the shot trackingdevice 11 and a receipt signal 62 is not received by the shot trackingdevice 11. The threshold number of signals ranges 62 from 5 to 50. Thethreshold number of signals 62 preferably ranges from 10 to 40, morepreferably from 15 to 30 and is most preferred to be 20. Each signal 62transmitted consumes approximately 2 milliamps of power. The signal 62comprises a frequency of approximately 2.4 GHz.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method 1000 for shot tracking. At block1001, a golfer 59 swings a club and impacts a golf ball. At block 1002,the impact force transmits to the shock switch 53. At block 1003, theshock switch is temporarily closed from the force of the impact. Atblock 1004, the active RFID transponder is powered by the power source.At block 1005, the active RFID transponder transmits at least one signalcontaining data about the golf club. At block 1006, the signal isreceived at a receiver.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the receiver10 of the present invention, illustrating the display 18, front surface40, and the directional pad 16(a) and a plurality of buttons 16(b).

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the components ofthe receiver 10. As shown in FIG. 7, a schematic block diagram of thepreferred electronic components of the receiver 10 comprises amicroprocessor 61 which is operably coupled to a GPS chipset 64, a LCDdisplay 18; a program memory 65, RF transceiver 63 and a battery 62. Thereceiver 10 additionally may comprises a data transfer interface, a userinterface and power management unit. As understood by one of ordinaryskill in the art, the receiver 10 also comprises other electroniccomponents, such as passive electronics and other electronics configuredto produce a fully functional GPS device as described herein. Inaddition, the receiver 10 comprises various firmware and softwareconfigured to control the operation of the receiver 10 and provide thedevice functionality as described in more detail below.

The microprocessor 61 is preferably an ARM based microprocessor, such asone of the MX line of processors available from Freescale Semiconductor,but may be any other suitable processor. The microprocessor 61 executesinstructions retrieved from the program memory 65, receives andtransmits data, and generally manages the overall operation of thereceiver 10.

The GPS chipset 64 is preferably an integrated circuit based GPS chipsetwhich includes a receiver and microcontroller. The GPS chipset may be asingle, integrated microchip, or multiple microchips such as a processorand a separate receiver which are operably coupled to each other (forexample, on a printed circuit board (“PCB”)). For instance, the GPSchipset 64 may be a NJ1030 GPS chipset available from Nemerix, Inc., orany other suitable GPS chipset or microchip. The GPS chipset 64 includesa GPS receiver, associated integrated circuit(s), firmware and/orsoftware to control the operation of the microchip, and may also includeone or more correction signal receiver(s) (alternatively, the correctionsignal receiver(s) may be integrated into a single receiver along withthe GPS receiver). As is well known, the GPS unit 64 receives signalsfrom GPS satellites and/or other signals such as correction signals, andcalculates the positional coordinates of the GPS unit 64. The receiver10 utilizes this positional data to calculate and display a golfer'sposition for shot tracking of the golfer's round of golf.

The display 18 may be any suitable graphic display, but is preferably ahigh resolution (e.g. 320 pixels by 240 pixels, QVGA or higherresolution), full color LCD. The display 18 is preferably the largestsize display that can be fit into the form factor of the overall device11, and preferably has a diagonal screen dimension of between about 1.5inches and 4 inches. For example, for the form factor described belowwith reference to FIG. 6, the display may be a 2.2″ diagonal, QVGA, fullcolor LCD. In addition, since the display 18 is intended to be usedoutside under sunlit conditions, the display 18 should provide goodvisibility under brightly lit conditions, such as with a transflectiveLCD.

The program memory 65 preferably stores at least some of the softwareand data used to control and operate the receiver 10. For example, theprogram memory 65 may store the operating system (such as LINUX orWindows CE), the application software (which provides the specificfunctionality of the device 11, as described below), and the golf coursedata. The program memory 65 broadly includes all of the memory of thereceiver 10, including memory contained on the microprocessor, memory ina non-volatile memory storage device such as flash memory, EPROM, orEEPROM, memory on a hard disk drive (“hdd”), SD Card(s), USB basedmemory devices, other types of flash memory, or other suitable storagedevice.

A user input device may comprise a plurality of buttons, a touch screen,a keypad, or any other suitable user interface which allows a user toselect functions and move a cursor. Referring to the embodiment shown inFIG. 6, an example of a user input device comprises a directional pad16(a) and plurality of buttons 16(b). The receiver 10 is configured suchthat directional pad 16(a) may be used to move a cursor around thedisplay, while the buttons 16(b) may be used to make selections and/oractivate functions.

In order to provide portability, the receiver 10 is preferably batterypowered by a battery 62 and power management unit. The battery 62 may beany suitable battery, including one or more non-rechargeable batteriesor rechargeable batteries. For instance, a rechargeable, lithium-ionbattery would work quite well in this application, as it providesrelatively long life on a single charge, it is compact, and it can bere-charged many times before it fails or loses significant capacity. Thepower management unit controls and distributes the battery power to theother components of the receiver 10, controls battery charging, and mayprovide an output representing the battery life. The power managementunit may be a separate integrated circuit and firmware, or it may beintegrated with the microprocessor 61, or other of the electroniccomponents of the receiver 10.

The data transfer interface is preferably configured to send and receivedata from the shot tracking device 11 and a computer. The interface alsopreferably includes a physical connection such as a USB connection, aradio frequency connection such as Wi-Fi, wireless USB, or Bluetooth, aninfra-red optical link, or any other suitable interface which canexchange electronic data between the receiver 10 and the shot trackingdevice 11. In a preferred embodiment, the interface comprises a USBconnection having a USB connector.

The electronic components of the receiver 10 are preferably assembledonto a PCB, along with various other electronic components andmechanical interfaces (thereby providing the electronic connections andoperability for a functional electronic receiver 10.

The receiver 10 preferably comprises a housing 22 (as shown in FIG. 6)which houses the electronic components such that the entire receiver 10has a very compact, thin, and lightweight form factor. The housing 22may be formed of any suitable material, but is preferably a plasticmaterial which is substantially transparent to radio frequency signalsfrom GPS satellites. Indeed, the golf GPS device is preferably handheldand small enough to fit comfortably in a pocket of a user's clothing. Inone preferred form, the receiver 10 may have the following dimensions: aheight of about 4 inches or less, a width of 1.9 inches or less and athickness of 0.6 inch or less. More preferably, the height is 3.9 inchesor less, the width is 1.8 inches or less, and the thickness is 0.55inches or less. The entire receiver 10 may weigh about 3.5 ounces orless, including the battery 62.

An application software program is stored in the program memory 65. Theapplication software program is configured to operate with themicroprocessor 61 and the other electronic components to provide thereceiver 10 with the functionality as described herein. Most generally,the hardware and software of the receiver 10 are configured todetermine, track, and display useful golf related information, before,during and after a round of golf.

The receiver 10 is preferably a GPS device such as disclosed inBalardeta et al., U.S. Patent Publication Number 20090075761 for a GolfGPS Device And System, which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety. Alternatively, the receiver 10 is a personal digital assistant(PDA), “smart phone”, mobile phone, or other similar device. However,those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize that the receiver 10may be any device capable of receiving and storing signals from the RFIDtag.

Those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize that other wirelesscommunications standard or specifications may also be deployed with thepresent invention. Example cellular-based data systems include: (1)the“TIA/EIA-95-B Mobile Station-Base Station Compatibility Standard forDual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular System” (the IS-95standard), (2) the standard offered by a consortium named“3rd GenerationPartnership Project” (3GPP) and embodied in a set of documents includingDocument Nos. 3G TS 25.211, 3G TS 25.212, 3G TS 25.213, and 3G TS 25.214(the W-CDMA standard), (3) the standard offered by a consortiumnamed“3^(rd) Generation Partnership Project 2” (3GPP2) and embodiedin“TR-45.5 Physical Layer Standard for cdma2000 Spread Spectrum Systems”(the IS-2000 standard), and (4) the high data rate (HDR) system thatconforms to the TIA/EIA/IS-856 standard (the IS-856 standard).

The golf clubs 50 of the present invention comprise irons, drivers,putters, fairway woods, hybrids, and wedges. The following patentsrelate to the golf clubs 50 that may be used in the present inventionand are hereby incorporated by reference.

Gibbs, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,468 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Galloway, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,470 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Williams, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,038 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Desmukh U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,143 is hereby incorporated by reference inits entirety.

Murphy, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,600 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Gibbs, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,626 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Galloway, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,631 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Evans, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,419 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

Hocknell, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,520 is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinentart will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention andwill readily understand that while the present invention has beendescribed in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and otherembodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes,modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which isintended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in thefollowing appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the inventionin which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined inthe following appended claims.

1. A system for automatically tracking a golf club swung by a golfer,the system comprising: a plurality of golf clubs, each of the pluralityof golf clubs comprising a shaft and a golf club head, the shaft havinga device comprising an accelerometer in electrical communication with aradiofrequency component, the accelerometer temporarily closing a switchduring impact with a golf ball to provide power from a power source tothe radiofrequency component for transmission of a signal, wherein thesignal comprises the type of club and force of the shot, each devicefurther comprising a resistor, an enabler, a shock switch and acapacitor, wherein the resistor controls the rate at which the capacitoris charged from the power source in order to conserve power; a receiverfor receiving the signal from the radiofrequency component, wherein thereceiver is a GPS unit; wherein in order to conserve power, theradiofrequency component transmits a signal until the confirmationsignal is received by the receiver or until a threshold number ofsignals are sent from the radiofrequency component without aconfirmation signal.